Siargao Island - A Perfect Surfing Destination

......the "Surfing Capital of the Philippines"

It hosts international surfing events yearly. Its waves combines the best quality features of the top-rated waves of Hawaii's fabled "pipeline" and the top-billed waves of Indonesia. Its huge, powerful rollers have been ranked among the top five breaks in the world, including the "Cloud Nine" which is considered one of the world's top surfing waves.

...tear-drop shaped island in the Philippine Sea situated 800 kilometers southeast of Manila in the province of Surigao del Norte. It has a land mass of approximately 437 kilometers. The east coast is relatively straight with one deep inlet, Port Pilar. The coastline is marked by a succession of reefs, small points and white, sandy beaches. The neighboring islands and islets have similar landforms.

The Island

Siargao Island, contains the largest mangrove forest reserves in Mindanao, at Del Carmen. Long stretches of wetlands indicate a potential for commercial seaweed propagation. The island is greatly influenced by the winds and currents coming uninterrupted from the Pacific Ocean, intensified by the Mindanao current running westward through the Siargao Strait.

The Island's Pacific-facing reefs are situated on the edge of the Philippine Trench, and the extremely deep offshore waters assure the ocean swells have undiluted power when they encounter the many coral and rock reefs. Siargao has excellent surfing conditions, particularly during the southwest "habagat" monsoon from August to November, when the prevailing wind is offshore.

Temperature: 952N, 12603'E

...the best known surfing wave on Siargao with a worldwide reputation for thick, hollow tubes.

The wave was discovered by travelling surfers in the late 1980s. It was named and made famous by American photographer John S. Callahan, who published the first major feature on Siargao Island in the US based Surfer magazine in March 1993, and hundreds of his photos in many other books and magazines since his first visit in 1992. Callahan has put the island on the international map and has drawn thousands of surfers and tourists to Siargao.

There are several other quality waves on Siargao and nearby islands, but Cloud 9 has received more publicity than any other, indeed in the Philippines as a whole. It is the only wave easily accessible without a boat, leading to overcrowding and the nickname of "Crowd 9" among surfers worldwide.

...eager foreign and locally owned accommodation and tourist facilities have profited from the magazine publicity and the influx of visitors drawn by the annual Siargao Cup competition in September.

~Essential when you are at the beach or even at the comfort of your home...

A moisturizer is very useful to make the skin soft. A lot of moisturizer brands are available in the supermarkets. But, you can make your own!

Honey is an excellent Homemade Moisturizer. Honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains water. So honey is a natural fit for a variety of moisturizing products including cleansers, creams, shampoos and conditioners. Because honey is also an anti-irritant, it is suitable for sensitive skin and baby care products.

• Mix 1 1/2 teaspoons honey, the juice from 1/2 of a lemon, and 3-tablespoon youghurt.
• Stir in 1 whipped egg white.
• Apply to face and let set about 15 minutes.
• Then wash off with lukewarm water.

A good toner/astringent is witch hazel which is a very inexpensive alternative to the pricey products with cosmetic names. You can use it with a mild inexpensive moisturizer such as Cetaphil daily for a nice complexion.

• Mix 1 medium sized apple (grated) with 5 Tb sp. honey. smooth over skin,

  let sit for about 10 minutes, and then wash off with COOL water.

• Just apply fresh fruit to your face is good. Your skin absorbs the

  vitamins and minerals.

• Leave on for 10 minutes or so, then wash off.

Siargao Island - A Perfect Surfing Destination by Naiza Oclares is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.squidoo.com.

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